BBC mobile TV secrets revealed

Vodafone, 3 and Orange spill pricing details of new service

The major mobile operators involved in the BBC mobile TV trial have told Tech.co.uk about their pricing plans for the channels and what they hope will come of the new partnership.

The BBC announced that from next month it would be making some of its content, TV and radio available to watch across 3G networks yesterday.

Ben Taylor, spokesperson for Vodafone UK, told Tech.co.uk: "Added to the selection of channels we have already, the BBC deal is a hugely exciting collaboration as we know it's something our customers want."

Vodaphone will be offering the BBC channels as part of its Variety pack at £3 per month.

Rivals Orange will offer a package which includes all the BBC channels for £5 per month, totaling 12 channels in all. As Orange explained, the BBC channels are a bonus - comparing it to buying Sky and having the Freeview channels thrown in.

Deborah Tom Row, head of mobile TV for Orange UK, said: "The BBC is an amazing content provider - some of the most famous TV in the country comes from there. We feel mobile TV needs the BBC in order to take the service into the mainstream.

"Mobile TV will live or die by its content, so the BBC is a major bonus for us. When we first started our mobile TV service, people would say to us 'Oh, so I can watch EastEnders on my mobile!' Well, we can now make that happen."

Mobile operator 3 is offering the channels as part of its existing TV package: £5 per month, or 49p per day. It's expected 3 will offer the channels after Vodafone and Orange.

"3 has lead the way in mobile TV, and the addition of the BBC is a major milestone in the development of a full mobile TV offer. We were first to bring customers ITV on their mobiles and so it's no surprise we are one of the first to add the BBC," said John Penberthy-Smith, 3 UK's marketing director.